Derek Carr shocked the football world recently when he announced he was retiring from the New Orleans Saints before the start of the 2025 season. He reportedly discovered a previously unknown shoulder injury and decided it was better to walk away.
This leaves the Saints in a challenging position. In their quarterback room, they have rookie Tyler Shough, who was picked in the second round of the recent draft; Spencer Rattler, their 2024 fifth-round pick; and Jake Haener, the Saints’ fourth-round pick in 2023.
The three will undoubtedly get a chance to compete, but the experience isn’t there. Rattler started six games in 2024 and went 0-6. This has analysts wondering if the Saints will bring in another veteran to serve as a bridge until one of their younger players is more ready, and one name keeps coming up: Aaron Rodgers.
Could the Saints Lure Aaron Rodgers to the Big Easy?
Rodgers’ former teammate James Jones is now an analyst on the Fox Sports 1 show “The Facility.” On a recent episode, he was asked if the Saints should give Rodgers a call to see if he will take the spot vacated by Carr.
“I mean absolutely,” said Jones with a chuckle and a shake of his head. “The call should have been made right after Derek Carr said, ‘Hey man, I ain’t feeling this shoulder.’ They should have been calling Aaron Rodgers. If Aaron Rodgers walked into the New Orleans building right now, he’s the best quarterback in the division. He gives you a chance to win.”
Jones began to list all of the offensive talent the Saints have that would be otherwise wasted: Chris Olave, Brandin Cooks, Alvin Kamara, and Rashid Shaheed. He said if he were any of those players, he would be lobbying hard for Rodgers while Shough develops.
.@89JonesNTAF says the Saints should be interested in Aaron Rodgers 👀
"You have Olave, Kamara and Cooks. Give yourself a chance to win right now." pic.twitter.com/ULZVOB3zq3
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1)
“You have ballers on the offensive side of the football. Give. Yourself. A. Chance. To. Go. Win. Right. Now!” exclaimed an adamant Jones.
He said the issue is that the quarterbacks currently on the roster haven’t won a game in the pros. It would be unfair to pin all their hopes on Shough. Jones said many in the organization weren’t behind the team selecting him in the second round.
Jones, who played wide receiver and won a Super Bowl with Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, said he’d question his wide receivers coach to learn the plan for this season.
“Because as you look at this quarterback’s room, you can’t tell me as a coach, you’re like, ‘this is our plan.’ These dudes ain’t proven,” said Jones.
Rodgers has been linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers all offseason, but the two have yet to finalize a deal. Jones believes that Rodgers stands a much better chance in a dome in New Orleans, rather than the cold and snow of the AFC North. He also feels he can be the hero on a team that competes in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL against quarterbacks like Michael Penix and Bryce Young, versus Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow.
In 2024, PFSN ranked Rodgers 21st out of all quarterbacks with a grade of C, while he was with the New York Jets. While it was not Rodgers’ best season to date, many believe that he still has what it takes to win another Super Bowl.
